


It Means Something

by gayerthanjew



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-06
Updated: 2012-06-06
Packaged: 2017-11-07 02:24:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/425860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayerthanjew/pseuds/gayerthanjew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quinn is looking for something different and finds it when she lands a spot on The Real World.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Means Something

Quinn gets the call, just as surprised as her friends when the guy on the other end tells her she made the final cut for the newest season of The Real World. It's kind of crazy, because thousands upon thousands of people all across the country applied, and the fact that she even made it past the first cut had made a good enough story.

But then there had been more interviews, more paperwork, and now she was headed to San Francisco to live with 7 strangers for just under a year.

Her friends teased that every season needed its prudish Christian member, but she rolled her eyes at them and packed her bags, adrenaline coursing through her veins at the idea of being on TV. She'd admit her life had been relatively tame, speckled with moments of rebellion through her high school and college careers, but overall she'd been raised a good Christian girl.

But being a good Christian girl didn't mean you knew what you wanted to do with your life after graduation, and she'd found herself jobless and looking for a burst of adventure.

A two-man camera crew was set to show up at her parents house in a week to film her trip to the airport.

\---------------

Quinn meets her "travel buddy" at the airport in San Francisco. The producer had explained the way it worked, even though Quinn knew that every housemate met up with someone on their way to the house, giving the introductory episode some filler.

She finds a tall, slim blonde waiting for her by baggage claim. The blonde spots her and smiles instantly, standing along with the camera crew set to tail them. 

"Quinn?" She extends her hand, and Quinn notes her firm handshake and the way lean muscle coils up her arm, flexing as she shakes. Quinn can't help but smile back, her nerves fluttering in her stomach as the cameras focus on them.

"That's me," she nods, dropping the handshake.

"I'm Brittany."

"Nice to meet you," Quinn looks her new housemate over. Brittany's wearing a plain white tank top and cheer shorts. She has multiple piercings along both ears and Quinn notices a small tattoo on her inner wrist. Quinn smiles to herself, sure that the producers took care in pairing her with someone classically different than herself.

"I think we're supposed to get a cab now," Brittany suggests. Quinn nods, trying not to look into the cameras that film her as she picks up her bags. 

\---------------

The house is better than she imagined. It's a classic San Francisco brownstone that's been completely gutted and redone to suit their needs, complete with large jacuzzi, a state of the art kitchen and a pimped out game room. There are also lush bedrooms, a  rooftop patio, and two small "confessional" rooms.

It turns out she and Brittany are the last to arrive, and everyone's already paired up, leaving one room on the second floor open. Brittany shrugs and drops her bags on the bed nearest the door, and Quinn can't help but feel disappointed that she didn't get a chance to possibly room with anyone else. She guesses it's better than rooming with one of the guys, who are prone to being careless and messy anyway.

\---------------

Quinn learns about her housemates quickly. She's instantly dubbed the quiet Christian girl, and everyone stereotypically assumes she's never touched a drop of alcohol or been further than second base. She doesn't mind, and uses her powers of observation to pick up on who's in love with who, who just wants to fuck who, who's quick to anger, and who's most likely to get a tattoo after a bit too much to drink.

Ironically, Brittany, her own roommate, is the biggest mystery to her. She turns out to be messier than all of the guys, barely drinks, and hasn't expressed any interest in any of their housemates. They get along well enough, but they're practically from opposite worlds. Brittany had barely graduated high school, hadn't gone to college, and the weirdest part to Quinn was that she didn't seem to care.

She would tell stories about her misadventures - jobs held for less than 24 hours, couch surfing across the country, that one time she snuck a cat through airport security.

Quinn had figured everyone else out, but Brittany was still a mystery to her, and it bugged her more than she thought it should.

\---------------

They were almost two months into filming, and tonight was shaping up to be another average night in the house. Alcohol was flowing, and some of the guys had started filling the jacuzzi. Quinn is already on her second drink when Jackson convinces her to join them. She goes back to her room to pull on a bikini, and finds Brittany among the roommates relaxing and drinking in the whirlpool.

Jackson wolf whistles as Quinn slips into the water and she rolls her eyes, splashing water towards him. She catches Brittany smiling mildy at the exchange, and realizes Brittany's not wearing a bathing suit top.

Quinn averts her eyes quickly, noticing how the camera crew hangs back and films them all, imagining there'll be a black bar over Brittany's chest if this moment makes it to the episode. She's mostly covered by the whirling jets, but when she reaches for her drink on a nearby ledge, her pale breasts glisten with the water from the hot tub, and Quinn can't help but stare. 

She's not the only one - both guys and girls alike in the hot tub can't help but notice how nonchalantly Brittany goes topless. With everything that's happened in the house so far, between fights and nasty confessional moments and even a brief run-in with the cops, Brittany's bare chest makes Quinn nervous in a way she can't pinpoint.

The night rolls on easily and Quinn notices Brittany's drunker than she's ever seen her. Max has his arm around her, face flushed from alcohol and the hot water, and Quinn wrinkles her nose. She doesn't like the way Max's hand seems to creep lower.

Jackson suggests going up to the roof to get some fresh air, and there are mutterings of agreement. It's already 2 a.m., and it's Quinn's shift at work tomorrow, so she says she's going to sleep. When Max and Brittany make no move to leave the tub, Quinn suggests Brittany get some rest too.

Quinn knows she's right to be concerned by the way Max nearly bores holes in her face with his drunken glare, and only gets more insistent until she gets an arm around Brittany, helping her step out from the hot tub.

"I've never seen you this drunk," Quinn mumbles as she leads Brittany towards their room, making sure to keep her eyes forward, painfully aware of Brittany's lack of clothes.

"I've never seen you this naked," Brittany slurs back, motioning towards Quinn's bikini. Quinn laughs and shakes her head, blushing despite herself.

"Look who's talking," she risks a glance sideways.

Their bathroom connects to their bedroom, and Quinn finds Brittany's towel and wraps her in it, sitting her on the edge of the tub while she pulls her own towel around her shoulders.

Brittany teeters on the edge of the tub, and Quinn sits quickly to steady her. They're quiet as they sit, and Quinn looks up at Brittany to suggest they go to sleep, only to be met by Brittany's lips, pressing messily over hers.

Quinn keeps her eyes open, and she thinks she kisses back a little before pushing away, separating herself from Brittany, who's suddenly wide-eyed.

"Shit, Quinn, I'm sorry, I -"

Quinn stands, shaking her head and looking away from Brittany. She leaves the bathroom, closing the door behind her before she pulls on dry clothes and slips into bed, hoping she'll be asleep before the bathroom door opens.

\---------------

When she wakes up, the bathroom door is still closed and Brittany's bed is empty. Quinn rubs her eyes and pads over to the bathroom. She opens the door and almost has it in her to laugh when she finds Brittany passed out in the tub. Instead, Brittany stirs and it sends Quinn back into their bedroom, dressing quickly and heading downstairs for breakfast.

\---------------

Brittany catches her reading on the patio later that evening. They're alone on the roof, and Quinn stares fiercely into her book as Brittany sits at the end of her lounge chair.

"Quinn, I'm sorry about last night," Brittany apologizes. She's not desperately apologetic like Quinn thought she would be. She's calm, as if apologizing for finishing the last slices of bread or for forgetting to water the plants.

Brittany waits for her to say something, but Quinn can't. She keeps staring at the lines of the pages in her book, her vision blurring until the text is jumbled together.

"I was drunk, and it didn't mean anything, and I'm sorry," Brittany goes on, and Quinn feels the words like a knife to the gut.

It didn't mean anything and that's what stings.

"It didn't mean anything?" Quinn asks quietly, looking up at Brittany for the first time. The sun is setting, and Brittany's freckles pop against her skin, even in the dim light of dusk.

She falters for the first time. "Yeah, it was just - it was nothing," Brittany says, sounding as unsure as Quinn feels.

Quinn nods and looks back to her book, even though it's too dark to continue reading. She waits for Brittany to stand and head back to the stairs, waiting for her footsteps to fade before she follows.

\---------------

Brittany had gone to bed an hour ago, and now Quinn hovers in the kitchen, ignoring the camera men as they hover with her. She knows even if they can't follow her to her room, there are night cams in her room that'll capture whatever happens. She wants to believe she'll be able to talk them out of keeping the footage, but she knows she doesn't have a shot in hell of that happening. She knows all her friends, all of America, will see her. It's funny and terrifying at the same time.

Finally she sighs to herself before heading up to her bedroom.  _What the hell, right?_ she thinks. The whole point of doing The Real World was to shake up her life.

The small lamp on Brittany's nightstand is still on, but Brittany's sleeping, sprawled across her bed in tangled sheets with her mouth open. Quinn smiles to herself, her heart still drumming violently against her chest, and she moves to turn off the light.

The action has the desired effect, and Brittany shifts, mumbling in her sleep.

"Britt?" Quinn whispers.

Brittany grumbles unintelligibly and props herself up on her elbows.

Quinn sits on the edge of the bed, turning to face Brittany in the darkness. She opens her mouth to speak but decides to turn the light back on. Brittany curses and squints at the sudden brightness, and Quinn bites her bottom lip, holding back a soft laugh.

Brittany's always been carelessly beautiful, Quinn thinks, and now is no different. Her pale blonde hair's a mess, but it still frames her face perfectly. The muscles in her neck flex, along with her biceps as she props herself up a little more. Quinn takes a deep breath.

"I didn't - I don't want it to mean nothing," Quinn whispers, her eyes locked on Brittany's, watery with sleep and bright blue in the light of the lamp. Quinn surprises herself with wanting to lean forward, but she doesn't. Brittany just stares at her with silent wonder, and after what feels like ages, Quinn stands up, shuts off the lamp, and leaves their room.

The cameras are waiting for her, but she walks past them, grabs a blanket and a pillow, and curls up on the couch.

\---------------

She wakes up the next morning to people in the kitchen, cooking food and whispering about her sleeping on the couch.

Jenna asks her what's up, and Quinn just shakes her head, lying and saying she fell asleep reading. The others shrug, curious but figuring they'll find out soon enough. Then Brittany comes into the kitchen, and Quinn excuses herself less than subtly, mumbling something about going up to the roof.

It's warm out already, even though the sun is just rising. Quinn squints against the light, walking over to the railing that faces the street and the park across their building. She hears the door open and close behind her and closes her eyes. She pictures herself at home, with no cameras, no overhead microphones, no lux house with strangers for roommates.

No clear, inquisitive blue eyes that made her feel like the only person in the room.

She opens her eyes at the gentle hand on her back, the long fingers that caress the dip of her spine fleetingly before withdrawing. Brittany stands next to her, looking down at the park. She doesn't speak, and Quinn realizes it's one of the things she likes most about Brittany.

The rest of her housemates seem to be a constant well of words; everyone has an opinion that has to be heard about every issue in the house. Brittany talks - hell, she says a lot of stupid shit, but it's when she doesn't speak that she says the things that are most important.

Quinn lets out a laugh and puts her head in her hands. She feels Brittany looking at her and smiling.

"So how many shots did you take before you came into our room last night?" Brittany grins as Quinn scoffs.

"Did I seem drunk to you?"

Brittany shrugs, looking back out at the park.

"Well, I wasn't," Quinn huffs. "I don't need alcohol in my blood to do things, like the rest of the house seems to." She pictures all the hook ups and fights that have been fueled by booze. She pictures Brittany drunk, barely able to balance, kissing her sloppily in the bathroom.

Brittany was picturing it too. "It's funny, right? I dunno, I think it's funny. That I was too nervous to kiss you sober," she says, still looking down at the park. It surprises Quinn and she stays quiet.

"Yeah...I've kissed a lot of people before," Brittany says, nodding slightly. "But I never worried about being rejected." She smiles, a wistful smile like she shouldn't be saying what she is. "It was only you, that made me nervous."

She laughs, and turns to face Quinn. "I mean, you  _make_  me nervous, cause here I am blabbering away like an idiot."

Quinn feels her face flush and Brittany looks away again. Quinn's never been at such a loss of words before, and all she can think to do is take Brittany's hand. She laces their fingers together, smiling as Brittany smiles.

"I'm sorry, I'm such a sap right now, I'm never like this," Brittany looks down at their hands.

"I like it," Quinn says quietly.

"You would," Brittany teases, and pulls Quinn closer by the hand. Quinn's caught off guard, and giggles slightly when their hips bump. The giggle dies in her throat when Brittany's other hand comes up to her waist, and her head tilts forward.

"It means something," Brittany whispers, her breath hot on Quinn's lips before she closes around them with her own. Quinn feels like her skin's on fire, nerves tingling with need as she kisses Brittany back fiercely, her mouth opening eagerly against soft, sure lips.

Eventually Quinn pulls back, mindful of the small cameras stationed on the roof. She blushes at the way Brittany grins and licks her lips, and tucks her face into Brittany's neck. She feels strong arms wrap around her, and Brittany presses her lips into her hair.

"You wanna hang out today?" Brittany asks into her hair. Quinn nods and pulls back to look into clear blue eyes. They didn't have anything on their schedules, and it'd probably only be one or two crew guys that followed them wherever they went.

"I'd like that," Quinn tilts up on the balls of her feet, unable to stop herself from smiling as she kisses Brittany again.


End file.
